Heat exchanger



F. R. LESZCZYK HEAT EXQHANGER Jan. 14, 19361.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1928 INVENTOR ,m' R lzszrzy/r W744MZIATTORNEYS Jan. 14, 1930. F. R. LESZCZYK" HEAT EXCHANGER' Filed Oct.11, 1928 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 flunk,

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK B.LESZCZYK, OF NEW HAVEN CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGN- HENTS, TOWINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE HEATEXGHANGER Application filed October 11, 1928. Serial No. 311,815.

This invention relates to heat. exchangers and more particularly toimprovements in the construction thereof. -My invention is particularlyapplicable to that type of heat exchanger which may be used in coolingor heating buildings, such as moving picture theatres, auditoriumsordwellings. This invention may also be used in .cooling an internalcombustion engine such as that of an automobile, aeroplane, motorboat orsimilar engines in which radiator cooling systems are used. '.ThlSinvention comprises certainimprovements in'the construction of heatexchangers and the manner in which the apparatus is assembled.

Numerous types of radiators or cooling devices have been used inconnection with automobile cooling systems, and since the more recentdemand has been made for cooling systems in moving picture houses andtheatres,

certain types of heat exchangers have beendevised or this purpose. Inmany types of automobile radiators a plurality of hollow metal tubesnested together. and soldered in lace in honey-comb or similar fashionhave been used. The assembled tubes of the radiators now in use areusually soldered together around the exterior end surfaces and alsosoldered into their respective frames or containers. In the ordinaryconstruction of radiators or heat exchangers the use of a large quantityof solder has been necessary to attach the assembled tubes to theirsupporting frames, this extensive use ofsolder resulting in an expensiveand diflicult apparatus to construct.

One of the objects of my invention is to eliminate the use of solder forattaching the assembled tubes of a heat exchanger to their encasingframe or container. A further 0bject'of this invention is to provideside walls with corrugated edges which may be folded into and securelyattached to the heat exchanger tubes in an inexpensive, quick andadvantageous manner.

This invention also provides a heat ex-.

changer which may be used either for cooling hot air or for heatingcool'air, as the situation may demand, and may also be used for coolingliquids and condensing gases.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the top section of my heat exchanger;

Fig. 4 is a side view of an end section of one of the side walls;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of one of the side walls before folding or shapingit to fit the side of the nested tubes;

Fig. 6 is a side view of one of the folded sides of the side Wall shownin Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of one of the top and bottom strips;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of one of the overlapping members of the top"and" bottom strips shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of one of the tube supporting members;

Fig. 10 is an enlarged view of one of the tubes showing the hexagonalends of the tubes forming the central portion of the nest.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 of one of the tubes showing the endconstruction of the tubes of the top and bottom rows;

Fig. 12 is a view of one of the tubes which is placed into the cavitiesbetween the corrugated side strip and the radiator frame;

Fig. 13 is a sectional elevation of the heat exchanger taken along line13'13 of Fig. 1, showing the arrangement of the tubes, and ghe'construction of the liquid or steam cham- Fig. 14 is an enlarged frontelevation of the heat exchanger tubes taken along line 1414 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a sectional plan view of the heat exchanger tubes taken alongline 1515 of Fig. 14;

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 15 taken along line 1616 of Fig. 14;and

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 14 showing the corrugated side. stripsin detail.

Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 1 represents the assembledheat exchanger as shown in Fig. 1. The heat exchanger 1 contains aplurality of open-ended hollow metal tubes 2 arranged in parallelrelation to each other with the peripheral surface of their open endssoldered together, giving the front of the assembled tubes 2 a honeycombappearance. The ends of the metal tubes 2 are of a greater diameter thanthe remaining portion of the tubes, thus forming a space 3 between thetubes 2, in which liquid or steam may circulate. The circulating space 3is increased by the indentions or deressions- 4 in the surface of thetubes 2. ounted on each side of the assembled tubes 2, perpendicular tothe openings therein, is a corrugated strip 5 the surface of which is-so disposed as to fit the configurations of the tubes 2 which contacttherewith, and which is adapted to be folded along its edge at the pointindicated by the line-22. An outer side member 6 is placed over thestrips 5 and forms the outside wall or side frame of the heat exchangerunit. Across the top and bottom of the assembled tubes 2 over theenlarged surface at each end thereof is placed a metal strip 7 having afolded edge indicated by the line 21. The body portion of these stripsmay be U-shaped in cross section as shown in Fig. 8. The width of thebody portion of the strips 7 corresponds to the length of the enlargedportion of the tubes 2 at each end thereof. The top and bottom strips 7are suitably connected to the side stri s 5 thus formin a frame for thetubes 2. T e ends of the tu es 2 adjacent to and contacting with the topand bottom strips 7 are pentagonal in she e as shown in Fig. 11 and theends of the tn 5 2 adjacent the corrugated side strips 5 are hexagonalin shape, as are all of the tubes 2 except those contacting with the topand bottom strips 7 as best shown in Figs. 1, 14 and 17. The edges ofthe side stri s 5 and of the top and bottom strips 7 are olded overandsecurely crimped into the adjacent tubes 2; the

edges of the side strips 5 being folded into the hexagonal tubescontacting therewith and the edges of the top and bottom strips 7 beingfolded into the pentagonal tubes which are employed only along the topand bottom strlps 7. In placing the outside cover strip 6 over thecorrugated strip 5a space 10 is formed between the cover strip 6 and thecorrugated strip 5 in each place where the strip 5 is indented toconform with the configuration of the hexa onal tubes 2, as best shownin Figs. 16 and 1 Into each of. the spaces 10 is-inserted a hollow metaltube 11 whose shape corresponds to that of a half hexagonal tube. Thetube 11 may be formed of the same material as that used in the formationof tubes 65 2 although their surface remains the same throughout theirentire length, there being no depressions therein nor any s ace formedbetween the outer surface thereo and the adjacent side strips 5 and 6 asthey are separated from the circulating chambers b the strips 5. Tubes11 are inserted mere y to give the construction greater strength and tocomplete the rectangular assembly. All of the tubes 2 and 11 assembledin this apparatus are hollow throughout their entire length in order toallow the free passage of air therethrough.

Liquid or steam chambers 12 and 13, each of which comprises a tank 14formed by an outer shell 15, are suitably attached to the top and bottomrespectively of the assembled tubes 2 as shown in Figs. 1 and 13. Thechambers 12 and 13 are provided with reinforcing members 16 disposed atintervals along the top and bottom of the assembled tubes 2. Chambers 12and 13 are securely attached, as by soldering, to the supports 16 and tothe top and bottom strips 7 Suitable threaded openings or couplings 17and 18 are provided in chambers 12 and 13 respectively for the inlet andoutlet of the material desired to be used in the heat exchanger. Thetank 14 of chambers 12 and 13 has an openin therein (not shown) indirect relation to t e pas-' sage space 3 around the tubes 2, so thatsteam or liquid injected into the tank 14 of chamber 12 passesimmediately to the circulating space 3 or may be cooled or heated asdesired, in its passage to the lower chamber 13. A fan 19 mounted onshaft 20 and driven by any suitable means (not shown) is situated on oneside of the heat exchanger 1 for forcing air through the hollow tubes 2and 11.

The heat exchanging operation of this apparatus is performed in thefollowing manner: To cool air by the heat exchanger 1, brine or anysuitable liquid refrigerant is inserted into the tank 14 through theopening 17 of chamber 12. As the refrigerating liquid reaches the tank14, it passes immediately to the circulating space 3 between the tubes 2throughwhich-it may circulate until it reaches the bottom chamber 13. Ifdesired the liquid ma be injected through the opening 17 until t e tank14 of the bottom chamber 13, the passage space 3 between the tubes 2 andthe tank 14 of the top chamber 12 have become filled, after which theoutlet 18 of the chamber 13 may be opened sufficiently to alloW aportion of the liquid to pass out, and at the same time a stream ofliquid may be continuously injected into inlet 17 corresponding to thatwhich is passing off through the outlet 18, thus forming a continuouscirculation of the liquid around the tubes 2. By means of the suction orblower fan 19 air is forced through the hollow tubes 2. In passingthrough tubes 2 the heat of the air is absorbed by the cold surface ofthe tubes 2 and transmitted to the circulating refrigerant which ispassing around the tubes. The degree to' which the air is cooled by itspassage through tubes 2, may be varied and'regulated as deslred byregulating the temperature of the refrigerating liquid, the degree ofchill imparted to the air depending entirely upon.

the temperature of the circulating refrigerant and upon the amount ofheat that must be absorbed or removed from the air. If it is desired tocool a hot liquid or to condense steam or gas in the heat exchanger 1,the operation may be performed in a manner similar to that employed forcooling hot air. The hot gas or liquid is introduced to the chamber 12through the inlet 17, and is allowed to circulate through the passagespace 3 to the bottom chamber 13. Air, which may have been previouslycooled, is forced through the hollow tubes 2 to absorb and remove theheat transmitted to the walls of the tubes by the hot liquid or gascirculating-in the passage-3. -In condensing'a gas by the heat exchanger1 the gas is introduced into the opening 17- of, chamber 12 and thecondensate will collect in the bottom chamber 13 after having beencondensed in its passage through the circulating space 3. The materialcollected in the bottom chamber 13 is then drawn off through the outlet18.

The heat exchanger 1 may be used as a heating unit for heating buildingsor auditoriums in a manner similar to that described in the coolingoperation by circulating a hot liquid in the passage space 3 around thetubes 2-and forcin air through the tubes 2 by the fan 19. Suitable hotair pipes may be arranged to receive the heated air after it has passedthrough the tubes 2 to distribute it as desired for the heatingpurposes. The degree of heat imparted to the air will depend upon thetemperature of the air when it contacts with the tubes 2 and also uponthe amount of heat transmitted to the walls of tubes 2 by the hot liquidcirculating in the passage 3.

One of the principal features in the construction. of my heat exchangeris the manner in which the side strips 5 and the top and bottom strips 7are attached to the tubes 2, forming a frame therefor, without the useof solder. The corrugated edges of the strips 5 and 7 are constructed insuch a manner that they may be folded over on a line parallel to cost ofconstruction of heat exchangers of this type and also provides a quick,easy and effective mannerin which the tubes 2 may be attached to thecontainer. The folded edges of the strips 7 are provided with slits 19spaced from each other a proper distance aline with the contacting wallsof the nested tubes.

In assembling the heat exchanger, the side nest with the exception oftubes 11- is first formed, and strips 5 are placed in position. The bodyportion of these strips is equal to the length of the tubes, and afterassembly the edges are folded over on lines 22 into the adjacent tubesas shown in Figs. 16 and 17. The tubes 11 and side frame members 6 maythen be placed in position. Top and bottom strips 7 are first solderedto the top and When this heat exchanger is used in connection with anautomobile cooling system, suitable additional connections for the inletand outlet of the water to and from the englne may be added. In thisembodiment water may be placed in the opening 17 until both chambers12and 13 and the circulatin space 3 has been completely filled, afterwhich the opening 17 is closed. The water may be supplied to the enginefrom a. suitable connection to the bottom chamber 13 and aftercirculating through the water passage of the engine the water will bereturned to the top chamber 12 through a suitable connection (not shown)thereto, and is cooled by passing through the circulating space 3 aroundthe air cooled tubes 2.

The construction of the essential members of this apparatus can bevaried within wide limits to suit the requirements of the articularcircumstances; and in general a l of the advantages of my invention canbe used,

even though the details of construction are modified to suit variousconditions. My invention is accordingly not limited to the par ticularembodiment thereof specifically described, but includes suchmodifications thereof as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a heat exchangera plurality of hollow tubes nested together in aframe, each of said tubes havin enlarged ends, and side strips havingfolda le edges attached to each side of the assembled tubes, said edgesbeing folded perpendicular to the body portion of v the strips, and saidstrips being attached by further folding and securely crimping the edgesthereof into the enlarged" ends of said tubes.

' 2. In a heat exchanger a plurality of open ended hollow metal tubesnested in a frame, said frame being formed by foldable strips attachedto all four sides of the assembled tubes, folding the edges of saidstrips perpendicular to the body portion of the strips and furtherfolding said edges into the ends of the adjacent tubes, to attach saidstrips to said tubes.

3. In a heat exchanger a plurality of open-- ended hollow'me'tal tubesnested together in a frame, said frame being formed by attaching stripshaving foldable edges to the top and bottom sides of the assembledtubes'with edges folded perpendicular to the body portionof the strips,said foldable edges being then folded and securely crimped into the openends of said tubes, the tubes contacting with the top-and bottom stripshavin enlarged ends of pentagonal shape, and the tubes contacting withsaid side strips having enlarged ends of hexagonal shape.

. 4. A heat exchanger comprising a pluralityof hollow tubes nestedtogether, and a frame surrounding saidnest of 'tubes, the frame membersbeing rovided with foldable edges, said edges being adapted to be foldedand'crimped into the ends of the adjacent tubes to attach said frame tosaid nest of tubes.

' In testimony whereof I aflix m signature.

FRANK R. LE ZCZYK.

